As KKR goes into their first game of IPL 2020 against Mumbai Indians, they have a selection headache as to who should they pick as the third fast bowler in their playing XI? Kamlesh Nagarkoti and Shivam Mavi are the two options for them and a lot of people are tilting in favor of Mavi as he has got a bit of IPL experience.
But, Kamlesh Nagarkoti was actually a preferred option over Mavi ahead of IPL 2018 and it was only because of the fact that Nagarkoti got injured and couldn’t play a game in the last two IPL seasons that Mavi got his opportunity.
Kamlesh Nagarkoti fits the ball perfectly for KKR
In the limited opportunities that Mavi has got, he has shown he has got a decent bit of pace and he gets that extra bounce as well because of his high arm action, but Kamlesh Nagarkoti is probably the kind of bowler that KKR needs in their current set-up.
Pat Cummins and Prasidh Krishna are the two first choice fast bowlers for KKR who are the automatic picks and while Cummins is a world class bowler, he is not quite a death specialist.
Cummins can change the game in the middle phase of the innings with his pace, but he doesn’t bowl enough deliveries in the block-hole at the end.
That leaves Kirishna as the only death bowling option for KKR and they probably need another bowler who can bowl in the death.
Mavi is certainly not someone whose game is suited to death bowling as his natural length is back of length. Nagarkoti’s natural length, on the contrary, is the fuller length and he can really put the ball into the block-hole on a consistent basis.
Just based on KKR’s requirement at the moment and the skill-set that Nagarkoti possesses, he is probably a better bet as the third fast bowler as compared to Mavi and should be picked in the playing XI for tonight’s game against Mumbai Indians.
